Which car has more problems? E9x or E46?

[youngbimmer]

My parents want to get a 2007 335i coupe, but are unsure whether or not they should on the question of reliability. I was reading the common problems thread, and there seems to be a lot of trouble with the engine, and a variety of other problems. Now I know the E46 has cooling issues and some electronic issues, but nothing serious with the engine. Is the 335i coupe going to cost more to keep running than my 325i E46? That thread is starting to scare me. And our BMW dealer is not the friendliest, quite the opposite actually.

[steve8820]

I think it depends on which E9X you are referring to. I have an 06' 325i with 56K miles and have experienced very few problems. Nothing with the engine at all.

Now on the 335s I think many have experienced issues with the fuel pumps, wastegates, fuel injectors, etc.. All of which would cost a small fortune at the dealer.

Is the car under warranty? If not, I wouldn't take the chance. In fact, once my CPO warranty is up in a couple of years I will likely get rid of my 325.

[youngbimmer]

There is no warranty on the car. The E9x i'm referring to is the 2007 335i Coupe. (Not really sure, maybe e92?)
I am hearing things on wastegates, valves, and fuel pumps as well. They do NOT want to buy a car that would have more issues than my E46.

So i guess the E46 is more reliable than the newer coupes? What a shame. i really like the new design, and so do my parents. E46 just looks so dated now.

[gbreeE90]

depends on who drove the e46 and how hard, and e90 is reliable, some are just lemons. They are both good cars but its tough to say which one is more reliable. Just make sure you have a warranty. i would go e46, but unless youre getting a e46 M3 its not that fun of a car IMO, either get e46 m3 or e9x 335i

[Jed]

There is no warranty on the car. The E9x i'm referring to is the 2007 335i Coupe. (Not really sure, maybe e92?)
I am hearing things on wastegates, valves, and fuel pumps as well. They do NOT want to buy a car that would have more issues than my E46.

So i guess the E46 is more reliable than the newer coupes? What a shame. i really like the new design, and so do my parents. E46 just looks so dated now.

BMW extended the warranty of the HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) to 6 yrs/120K miles (whichever comes first). If it helps any, I got my car new and it now has 72K miles and the only issue I had were rattling wastegates. The dealership ended up replacing my turbos (I believe that would've been a $5K job) under warranty at 38K miles.

I've had friends with N54 powered cars with no issues, out of the 6 of them, only one had the HPFP issue. There's reports of guys going through several within a few months and some being on their original. It's a crapshoot.

As with any BMW, maintenance is not going to be cheap-I personally wouldn't get a 335 w/o a warranty because of the crapshoot aspect of it. Try to find one with a CPO. For me, I've been fortunate.

That being said, are they getting the Steptronic with "SPORT MODE!!!!" ?:stickoutt (just kidding, you know I had to get that in there :D)

[youngbimmer]

Yes they will be get steptronic with Sp0rT M0d3!!!!!!

My dad does not drive stick, and my mom has stiff knees which prevents her from driving stick anymore.

What things should I look for when purchasing a used E9x 335i?

[swtaylor68]

go for the 328i then. I hear of less issues.

Bad knees, your dad not driving a stick anymore, etc. There seems to be no need for the extra horsepower then.

scott

[Jed]

Yes they will be get steptronic with Sp0rT M0d3!!!!!!

My dad does not drive stick, and my mom has stiff knees which prevents her from driving stick anymore.

What things should I look for when purchasing a used E9x 335i?

Listen for the infamous wastegate rattle at idle. Plenty of threads on e90post as well as youtube. To fix that, it can range anywhere from a software "upgrade" which will introduce lag or adjusting the WG actuator arm or replacing the turbos as the worst case scenario ($$$ if not under warranty).

Is this car at a BMW dealer? See if they can pull up the history and see if there were multiple HPFP replacements. Even then BMW extended the warranty on that part.

Also you said it is a 2007, find out what the build date is because Steptronic 335is w/o the sport package did not have oil coolers. To check if the one you are looking at does have one, look behind the bumper, inside the wheelwell on the front passenger side. Turn the wheel all the way to the left and you can see it easier it in the wheelwell. It should be obvious-it's a square area with a louvered grill.

[Tamsupremepower]

I've seen 335's with very little issues to some with many issues that were lemoned. I suppose it just depends on the way they were driven, mods, and the car itself. :D

[kindtree]

The 335 is not guaranteed to give you issues, but it is likely to have them. There's just no sugarcoating that.

That being said, a 335 under warranty will cost less to fix than an E46 out of warranty; that's a given. If they were both out of warranty, it would depend on condition and history, but the 335 is a real bitch.

[alpha325i]

If you want reliability, go with an E9x 325i or 328i (2007+).

[jfj335i]

Hi, I recently purchased a CPO 2007 335i coupe 6MT from BMW. I was also concerned with reliability but decided to get it anyway because of the performance factor and the warranty (the 1 year left on original warranty plus an additional 2 year from CPO status). I just brought the car in to be fixed under warranty due to the rattling noise at low speeds when foot off the accelerator. Whatever your parents decide on, I also recommend a CPO.

[joes95740]

My 02 e46 just hit 95k and had to change the radiator. I am getting a p0444 code so I may need a breather valve, unless the gas cap is bad. I have a slight leak from the valve cover, so I have my work cut out for me this next week.
At least the 7 is super reliable :shifty

[E90DTM]

At least the 7 is super reliable :shifty:shifty Seriously? :rofl My dad's old e38 was one of the most problematic cars I've ever seen!